Simon Callow: 'Royal wedding was disappointing'

Speaking to the Daily Express, the 61-year-old writer admitted to feeling somewhat underwhelmed by last month's royal wedding and questioned whether the big-budget ceremony was a worthy use of taxpayer money.

He said of the nuptials: "I was struck by the extreme relaxation of the protagonists, and that was kind of amazing, but it was a little disappointing too, I thought because it was such an epic event yet they looked as if they were in their own front room. I saw them lolling around a bit on their seats and making little jokes and all the rest of it.

"If these events are to be held and the taxpayers pay a great deal of money for them... it would be kind of nice if the participants seemed to have some sense of grandeur."

He added: "It didn't interest me very much and it was bewildering to me how excited people were about it."